A FORMER Southampton councillor standing for the Socialist Labour Party has branded the European Union “Hitler’s imperialist dream”, writes Rob Vickery.

Paramjit Bahia, the SLP’s number two candidate for South East, is fighting for complete withdrawl of the “capitalist” and “highly agrressive” EU.

The SLP accuses the EU of failing to stop multinational companies “exploiting workers” and moving their factories to cheaper places, without considering the social responsibility for communities left behind.

It says EU directives on privatisation are destroying Britain’s health, education and postal services.

Mr Bahia said: “We as a party are committed to bringing everything that was denationalised in the last 30 years back.

“In the local area we are very tight on resources but Europe affects us all. Put us in it to get you out.”

Mr Bahia said even taking part in Euro Parliamentary elections was a “bitter pill to swallow”.

The SLP says it is the only party offering a “genuine socialist alternative”

to the vast array of problems that workers and their families are facing today.

It wants Britain to come out of Europe and develop and expand trading links with the rest of the world as part of an “internationalist outlook”.

■ GREEN Party leader Caroline Lucas has jointly topped a league table of the UK’s 78 Euro MPs based on voting for transparency and reform in Brussels.

Fellow south-east MEPs, UKIP leader Nigel Farage and the Conservative Nirj Deva, came towards the bottom, in 66th and 71st places respectively.

MEPs were ranked according to their records on “transparency, openness and democracy” and “fighting waste and misuse of EU funds” – including lifting the lid on expenses.

The table was compiled by Open Europe, a think tank.